Cold Aspirations
by lovelikeSummer3
Summary: Takes place 13 years after Let Me Go: A package is mailed to Natalie on her 13th birthday.  Keeping its horrific contents from her parents Adam and Amanda Natalie continues the work of the infamous Jisaw killer.
1. The Package

**Cold Aspirations: Sequel to **_**Let Me Go**_

**By: me once again**

**Disclaimer: Saw I don't own it**

**Here's to people that reviewed me for **_**Let Me Go….**_** Well, here you go.**

**The Package**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

Thirteen is a lucky year for most young adults. The age of thirteen dawns on some of the best and worst days of your life. Natalie Faulkner's summary of her 13th birthday can be explained with one thing; a package. It arrived in the mail around 9:00a.m. The return address was absent on this package, along with specific mail instructions. After all, the object inside sounded fragile. All that was said on the box was; To: Natalie Faulkner

"Where on earth did this come from," Amanda asked staring at the package that sat on the kitchen counter.

Having her suspicions, Amanda curiously gazed about the package looking for any signature or sender information. After a good five minutes of pondering what she should do, Natalie walked into the room in a sleepy daze.

Natalie looked at the package and asked, "What's that?"

Amanda replied, "I don't know. It came in this morning for you, but it doesn't say who it's from, and speaking of today; happy thirteenth birthday honey."

"Thanks mom," Natalie said still staring at the package.

Just as that was said, Adam walked into the kitchen and covered Natalie's eyes from behind her and said, "Happy birthday, you old woman."

"Okay dad and what would that make you, ancient?" Natalie asked playfully.

Adam stared at the package that seemed to beckon to all of them from across the room as Amanda asked him, "That package over there came for Natalie this morning, but I have no idea where it's from or who it's from. Do you have any ideas?"

Adam replied, "No clue; we should open it anyway though."

Natalie walked over to the package and began to carefully tear off the tape that sealed it shut. On the inside was a letter. It said:

_213, Stygian Street_

_June 22, 2006_

_Dear Natalie,_

_You probably don't remember me, but I most certainly remember you. I have sent this to you on your 13__th__ birthday because I have a special job for you. Your life has just begun, and I want to help you rise above expectation. You can be responsible for changing the world. Have people see as I see, and feel as I feel. Life is a very precious thing. At birth we are given the right to do with it what we wish, and some make worse choices than others. Your parents had betrayed me and had taken their lives for granted. I want you to show them, and everyone else the error of their ways. In the box are blueprints for contraptions that will be created by you to test people that are abusing life. You must do this in secret. The information given to you must never find its way into the wrong hands. Your mother and father have failed me, and it is now up to you to carry on my life's work. People must face these challenges, or die trying. The choice is now up to you. Don't fail me now Natalie. You are the only hope left for my philosophy. Do this for me, your adopted grandfather._

_Sincerely,_

_John Kramer_

Natalie stared at this letter for about seven minutes before searching the rest of the box. As promised in the letter, the inside of the box contained materials for death contraptions. Just the thought of what they could do made Natalie's spine tingle. At the very bottom was a bag filled with hand tools that would build the contraptions such as a hammer, a screw driver, and a socket wrench.

Seeing the strain on her daughter's face Amanda asked, "Natalie, what does the letter say?"

Natalie wondered what she should do knowing that the letters instructions clearly stated that the information should be kept a secret. No sooner then thought kicked in, Natalie quickly replied, "Oh it's just a letter from my teacher at school wishing me a happy birthday. The box is filled with cards from my classmates. I'm just gonna go put this in my room for now."

Amanda sensed something wrong with the explanation, but she trusted Natalie.

Adam said to Amanda, "That's kinda strange don't you think? Natalie seemed really creeped out by that letter."

"Yeah, but I trust her enough to give her some space," Amanda said half- heartedly.

For the rest of the day Natalie spent time with Adam and Amanda participating in the usual birthday routine; opening presents, cake, and calls from friends wishing her a happy birthday. At the end of the day Natalie returned to her room to look even further into the package's contents. Looking once again at the letter, Natalie began to think very hard about what it could mean.

_Life is a very precious thing. At birth we are given the right to do with it what we wish._

Given that the letter Natalie had received was dated back to thirteen years ago, she had no idea about the Jigsaw cases or his infamous traps. Amanda and Adam wanted to keep that from her until they thought she was old enough to hear about it.

"Your adopted grandfather," Natalie repeated to herself.

Suddenly the gears in her head began to work over what her "grandfather" was like. To Natalie this was innocent thinking. After all, Adam and Amanda were her only family.

"People must face these challenges or die trying," Natalie said to herself looking in the box for a blueprint.

The first one she pulled out looked to her like an enormous toaster. On the inside was a poorly drawn person that seemed to be shackled to the bottom of the 'toaster' by their ankles. The walls of the inside were highlighted in red which must have meant that they are meant to be heated, and they had arrows pointed inward at the person which must have meant that the heated walls were closing in. Looking at this device made Natalie sick to her stomach. One thing she found curious was that the top of the blueprint was labeled with one name, Alison. According to the blueprint she would have to reach past the heated bars to grab a key and free herself from the enclosing walls. Her only escape was a rope ladder that was dangling in her reach. Natalie guessed that the challenge after all was the shackles holding this woman in place.

Natalie exclaimed, "Oh my god."

She glanced downward on the blueprint to what the after effect would be. The poor woman looked like a burnt pancake. Just thinking about what it would really look like made Natalie gag. Even worse was the thought of building such a machine.

Having seen enough Natalie threw the blueprint back in the box glancing back inside, Natalie saw at least eleven tapes along with four tape recorders. All of the tapes were labeled with names such as Allison, Sarah, Daniel, Diana, and finally a tape with smeared letters. All you could see on it was 'Am- & A.'

Natalie finally sealed up the box and put it in the far back of her closet, and got ready for bed. Regardless of whether of not Natalie had seen enough with that one blueprint; worse was yet to come, much worse.


	2. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

Sleep had always been a problem for Natalie. Sometimes she would lie awake in bed for up to six hours before drifting off to sleep. What was peculiar about this night was that she had fallen asleep in minutes. Little did she know that this was an omen for disaster.

"_Where am I?" Natalie asked in her dream as she woke in a large bathroom._

_A seemingly distant voice called back, "This is nowhere familiar to you, but in time you will understand why I have brought you here."_

_Natalie gazed around the room to see a man with dirty blonde hair looking at a photograph. She also noticed that he was crying. Walking over to him she tried to put her hand on his shoulder and break his almost frightening trance. When her hand reached his shoulder it simply slid right through him like he was a ghost._

_Stepping back Natalie exclaimed, "What is this? Why am I here?"_

_The cold voice from before replied, "That is Lawrence Gordon; one of my first tests. As most of my tests do, he failed. I took his family from him and chained him in this room in order to help him appreciate his life. He was cheating on his wife, he had a wonderful daughter, and he had a wonderful job. Assuming that you got my letter I will restate that life is a valuable thing. At birth we are given the right to do with it what we wish, and Dr. Gordon had made some very poor choices in the time he had."_

_Before Natalie could speak again Lawrence's 'ghost' faded away and a new Lawrence appeared. His face was pale, and his foot was missing. He crawled over to what was apparently a gun on the floor. Seeing his cold and dying features made Natalie feel sick to her stomach. Before her very eyes, Adam appeared on the opposite side of the room, chained to a pipe. Rushing over to his side Natalie frantically tried to get his attention._

_She exclaimed, "Dad! Dad it's me, Natalie."_

_The distant voice returned, "He can't hear you, see you, and he doesn't know that you're there. This was all real Natalie. Don't your parents talk about me?"_

"_Who are you?!" Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs._

_The voice replied, "I am your adopted grandfather and teacher. It is up to you now to carry on my life's work. You must test those who do not appreciate their lives. It is simply a way of finding out if they care enough to keep on living. Your parents were both my test subjects. Your mother succeeded, but Adam only escaped because your mother helped him. I intended for him to die in this room cold and alone. However if this didn't happen you wouldn't exist, and my work would not continue. I must now explain to you how things should be done in my permanent absence."_

_Natalie asked, "How could you show me this and expect me to continue your work? You're a murderer, and you're damn lucky that you're not here or I'd kill you."_

"_I am not a murderer. I do not condone murder, and I despise murderers; such as your mother. She was everything to me. I tried to teach her right, and give her subjects a chance to live, but she thwarted my efforts and broke the rules. In saving your father she destroyed me. She began to create games that were inescapably hard and could not be won. She murdered people that had tried their hardest to win, like Eric Matthews and Kerry. It is up to you to not make these mistakes. I have given you guidelines for now, but eventually you will have to make your own choices. People in this world don't appreciate life like they should. I realized that when I began to die of cancer. There are perfectly healthy people that are throwing away their lives, and aren't fixing them any time soon. Teach them the right path Natalie because you're all I have left." The voice drifted away after saying this._

_Before Natalie could respond a gunshot was fired. As she looked towards her father she saw the bullet go in, and he fell to the floor._

Before Natalie knew it she was awake in her room. Her nightmare had ended, but a new one had just begun.


	3. Memories

**Memories**

**Amanda's P.O.V.**

Amanda could not sleep. For some reason the contents of that box seemed to tease her. In the past Natalie had told one or two harmless lies, but bout the package gave Amanda a feeling of cold dread. Feeling the need to, Amanda hopped out of bed and went to check on her daughter.

"Why can't I just sleep?" Amanda asked herself as she walked down the hallway to Natalie's room.

Amanda poked her head in the door to find Natalie, sleeping soundly. Looking at her reminded Amanda of Jeff's daughter, Corbett from so many years ago. Amanda always wondered why her training derailed and turned into pure homicide. After all, her job was to help people be reborn.

In all of this confusion, Amanda remembered why she stopped, and became an average person once again. Her 'signal fire' turned out to be Adam in the end. She saved him and truly loved him. Her cold heart seemed to lighten around him, and she felt happy; like she belonged.

After these memories came recollection of John. He did in a way save her life. If it weren't for him, Amanda would be selling her body on a street corner just to get a decent high. All of John's hard work seemed to go to waste, but that didn't bother Amanda much.

Amanda said to herself, "He was a murderer. All he wanted was to shift the blame on you, and take away your freedom."

Amanda couldn't lie to herself. She missed John because he was the closest she had to a father. Her real father was abusive and cold, and John was open- minded and respectful. Somewhere in the back of Amanda's mind she wished that John could be a part of Natalie's life.

The battles that took place inside of Amanda's self conscious always returned with the same victor, Amanda Faulkner; average wife and mother. She couldn't return to doing John's work and she certainly couldn't tell Natalie about it. Hearing the gruesome and shocking truth about what happened to Adam and Amanda would scar Natalie's young mind for life.

"Shit." Amanda said to herself feeling incredibly tired.

Amanda walked back to her and Adam's room, and crawled back into bed. These memories of John would soon come to life for Amanda more vividly than she would want.

* * *

A/N: This was pretty much just a chapter that is answering a few questions about Amanda. If you have more questions please ask, and send reviews please. This chapter was notoriously short, but you will find that common in a lot of my chapters. In case you were wondering, I got the phrase 'signal fire' from a song called Signal Fire by Snow Patrol. It's a good song off of the Spiderman 3 soundtrack. I don't own the song, so cool your jets people. 


	4. Brutal Awakening

**Brutal Awakening**

**Amanda's P.O.V.**

The following morning seemed to go by too quickly. Natalie and her family went through the usual routine of showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, and most of other morning rituals. As far as talking goes, there was none. The most conversation shared were a few concerned looks given to Natalie by Amanda.

Natalie pleaded, "Mom, can you please stop looking at me like that? I'm fine, and I don't know why you think I'm not. Please just stop."

Amanda was taken aback by this. Had her concern really shown that much? Feeling sudden interest in this outburst Amanda decided to look further into Natalie's blank expression.

"I'm not worried Natalie. I don't know why I'd be. I was going to ask you anyway if you wanted to come with me out to lunch." Amanda said trying to hide a conspiring frown.

Amanda really did sense something wrong with Natalie. Her eyes seemed to turn colder and distant. Even if they had become a bright green from their original baby blue color inherited from Adam. Somehow Natalie's eyes resembled John's. They were beady and blank. Natalie's normally laughing and happy eyes seemed to have disappeared over the course of a day.

Natalie replied, "Where are we going to go."

"I'm thinking pizza," Amanda said faking a smile.

For the car ride to Pizza Hut Natalie didn't say a word. Amanda was beginning to think Natalie was dead.

Silence was abruptly ended when Natalie asked, "Mom? What can you tell me about my grandpa, John?"

Amanda slammed her foot on the brakes after hearing this. Having just avoiding a red SUV, Amanda pulled over to the side of the road and put her hands on her face.

"My God Natalie, are you okay?" Amanda asked in between gasps.

Natalie replied, "I'm fine, but you failed to answer my question about my grandpa, John.

Natalie's voice was cold and demanding. It sounded just like John to Amanda, which made her cringe.

"I'll tell you, but you're not going to be happy." Amanda said smoothing out her hair.

They pulled into the Pizza Hut parking lot and found a table far away from everyone else in the restaurant. Having suddenly lost her appetite, Amanda began to rack her brain as to how she could word her memories of John to her daughter. She watched as Natalie ate a slice of plain cheese pizza. Not Amanda's favorite, but Natalie never liked toppings like pepperoni. Feeling that it was time to start talking, Amanda began to reveal various chapters of her life.

She began, "Your father and I originally grew up in New York City. In my younger years I developed some bad habits. I'm sure that on the news you have seen at least one or more reports of the Jigsaw killer. I am telling you now that the man you know as 'Grandpa' is the Jigsaw killer. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think you could handle it, and I have no idea how you found out about John being your adopted grandfather. He is responsible for the kidnapping and deaths of over ten people. I can now tell you that I helped. I was one of his first tests. He preferred to call his 'games' tests because he gave his subjects a chance to live. I survived my test, and he made me into his apprentice. I was supposed to carry out John's work after he died, but I didn't.

Natalie asked, "Why not?"

Amanda continued, "He was a murderer. He tortured people for the sake of his own sick pleasure. He said he was trying to help people, but nobody changes. If they survived the most that would happen is that those people would walk around for the rest of their miserable lives afraid of their own shadows. I was the only survivor. Thinks haven't changed for me. I'm still lost, and I'm still afraid. He couldn't fix me, and I saw no point when it comes to fixing others. How could anyone kill another person and live with themselves? I still have nightmares about Eric Matthews. I still wake up thinking there is another trap on my head. I can't keep trying to kid myself into thinking nothing's wrong when I know John was a part of my life. Now you know who your grandfather is. We have no ties in blood, but he's the closest thing to family that I had besides you and Adam."

After returning home, Natalie and Amanda did not speak. Natalie spent most of the evening playing card games with Adam. It wasn't until late in the evening when Natalie was in her room listening to her iPod that Adam and Amanda had a true chance to talk about Natalie's strange new changes.

Adam said, "Do you think something's seriously bothering Natalie?"

Amanda replied, "Of course something's wrong. She knows about John. I have no idea how she found out about him being her adopted grandfather because I didn't tell her. Did you?"

"No. We agreed when she was little that we would keep the truth from her until she was old enough to handle it." Adam said in a concerned tone, "The only other thing I can think of that could give that away was maybe the news or her teachers."

Amanda snapped, "If her teachers knew that would mean they know about me being John's apprentice. I'd be in jail or dead right now."

"Unless you can think of any other alternative, there is no possible way that Natalie could know about John." Adam said in a soothing manner.

After this conversation, Adam went to check on Natalie and found her sleeping soundly. It was only after Adam and Amanda went to bed that Natalie began work on her first trap, the enormous toaster. Her philosophy had merged with Jigsaw's; fix the living or discard the dead.


	5. Room for Improvement

**Room for Improvement**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

Within a few days Natalie had completed a heat register for one side of the enclosing walls of the 'toaster'. If her work was meant to progress Natalie would need a larger space to work on and store her creations. Quickly drawing up a plan, Natalie went to Adam and asked him;

"Dad, can I go for a walk to the library down the road?"

Adam stared curiously at Natalie for a brief moment before responding.

"I don't see why not. Be sure to check with your mom too before you go."

Natalie walked into her parents' bedroom to find Amanda reading on her bed. Making her smile seem a little less involuntary, Natalie approached her mother.

"Hey Mom, can I walk over to the library down the street? Dad told me to ask you."

Amanda also found this as a strange question because the library was near closing time, but she refrained from asking questions.

Amanda replied, "I don't mind, but you have to be back before dinner. In case you didn't know it should be ready by six thirty."

Avoiding her parents Natalie walked outside through her back door and continued down her street. Keeping an eye out for any large and usable buildings, Natalie walked past the library into a nearly abandoned section of her neighborhood. Its only inhabitance was a homeless person and various wild animals; perfect.

After about fifteen minutes of searching, Natalie came across an abandoned cheese factory. It was secluded and hidden by other buildings. Its walls contained no windows and were virtually sound-proof.

As she approached the door, Natalie removed a bobby pin from her hair and prepared her lock-picking mechanism (an unfolded pin.)

To Natalie's surprise the pin was not needed. The lock that held the doors shut had simply rusted over time.

"Oh my god, what is that smell?" Natalie exclaimed as she was greeted by an odor that reeked of mold and dead things.

Natalie reassured herself, "Oh yeah, cheese."

For the next hour Natalie began to clear out old machinery, sparing reusable parts, and making room for her new creations. By the time she had finished the smell of cheese was nearly gone from the first floor of the factory.

Realizing that it was near time for her to return home, Natalie closed the factory doors tightly behind her and walked home.

Arriving at 6:24 exactly she was greeted by a whirlwind of questions.

"_What did you find at the library?"_

"_What took you so long to get back?"_

"_What smells like cheese?"_

After dinner Natalie went straight to her room to begin preparing her materials to be moved to the factory. An issue for Natalie was going to be moving the heat register without her parents seeing or hearing her.

After Adam and Amanda went to sleep Natalie brought a small wagon into her room and began to make back and forth trips from home to the factory bringing the tools, materials, the heat register, and John's box of blueprints.

Natalie was able to return home for the last time and sleep at five in the morning. As each increasingly long hour passed, Natalie's desire to carry out John's work intensified. She wanted him to be apart of her life, and to Natalie this was the only way.


	6. The First Test

**The First Test**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

Over the course of a month Natalie had finally completed the large toaster. She would sneak out of her house every night at midnight and continue working on it until it was fully operational. The next stage of the game however, was learning more about Alison, the woman who would have to face that first challenge.

With the beginning of spring approaching, Natalie would be able to walk home from school thus having the chance to return to her lair (which is now what she called it.)

"She was Lawrence Gordon's wife?" Natalie asked out loud looking at the articles found in the archival section of the library.

Natalie would sometimes spend hours on end after school looking up information on Alison Gordon. According to research, after Lawrence's death she began to work at a local hospital. She and her daughter Diana are now conveniently located at least three blocks from where Natalie, Amanda, and Adam live.

Natalie said quietly, "Why she would move to Buffalo is beyond me."

Walking back home from the library, Natalie devised a plan that after school she would go to Alison's house, kidnap her, and set her up in the large toaster. Given that Alison's daughter Diana was about two years older meant that she attended the local high school. High school students were let out an hour after middle school, so that would give Natalie plenty of time to get Alison out of the house and over to the old factory.

In school the next day Natalie could think of nothing but her first 'game'. This was her chance to prove herself to her non-living grandfather. Her friend Jessica had noticed Natalie's distant gaze, and she wanted to bring Natalie out of whatever was troubling her.

Jessica asked, "Natalie? Are you okay? You seemed pretty stressed today. I'm walking around the block to go and get some lunch. Do you want to come?"

Natalie looked at Jessica with her old, smiley faced, cheerful, 'I'm a happy child' kind of look and said, "I have a lot going on this afternoon, but maybe some other time."

"Okay, your loss." Jessica said starting to walk down the street.

Jessica really was a good friend, but family matters came first to Natalie. After all, her parents have been in a lot of trouble in the past according to John and Amanda.

Making her way down to Alison's house, Natalie felt around for the cloth she had in her coat pocket that was drenched in high fume cleaning solution. Getting it past teachers was a miracle, but necessary for rendering Alison unconscious. After all, people won't sell chloroform to minors, although, Natalie never really looked into that. Thinking about what might happen to Alison made Natalie think of Lawrence. She remembered what he looked like in her nightmare, and that really happened to him.

"_If they survived the most that would happen is that those people would walk around for the rest of their lives afraid of their own shadows." _

Natalie remembered Amanda saying this and began to have second thoughts about what she was doing.

"_Teach them the right path Natalie, because you are all I have left."_

Natalie's pure purpose was to prove her worth to John, and she would not fail him. After all, the road to enlightenment is paved with good intentions.

Arriving at Alison's house Natalie gazed at the front of the house. The size of it was enormous. Being a secretary at a local hospital seemed to pay off. Natalie looked through a window to see Alison asleep on the sofa in what seemed to be a large living room. Natalie tried to open the front door, but it was locked. Seeing as though this would happen, and Natalie had no pins in her hair, she tried opening all of the house's windows until she found that all of them were shut tight; at least on ground level.

Looking around, Natalie couldn't find a single climbable appendage on the house, except for a drain pipe. Its design was solid, at least one inch thick. It wasn't regular aluminum. This pipe looked more like a wrought iron design.

Looking at it from a distance it was very small, which sparked Natalie's fear of heights. There was a large window to the right of the drain pipe. It was just in Natalie's reach, but it was the only window for another ten feet.

Praying for dear life Natalie began her climb up a skinny drain pipe. Reaching the window, Natalie reached for the outer handle. The window wouldn't come open easily, but Natalie could tell that it was unlocked. While trying to keep her balance three stories above the ground, Natalie pried open the window with her other hand.

After climbing through the window Natalie gazed at her surroundings. On the walls were combinations of purple paint and band posters. In that moment Natalie knew that she was in the room of Diana Gordon, Lawrence's only child.

"How do I get back downstairs and over to Alison without making any noise?" Natalie asked out loud.

Before she could come up with a solution, Natalie heard a door open and a young voice saying, "Mom, I'm home. I don't have a long time to stay, because I'm going to Megan's house. I just have to get some stuff from my room."

Knowing that voice was Diana's, Natalie didn't know where to go.

Natalie asked herself, "The closet? No, she's getting stuff from her room which probably means from her closet. Should I go under her bed? No, she'd see me under there. There's no bed skirt."

The footsteps that were on the first floor were now in the hallway in front of Diana's door. Quickly taking action, Natalie dove behind the thick and dark curtains that lined the window. They were long enough that they covered Natalie's feet, and they were thin enough on the inside that Natalie could see when Diana left.

Natalie watched at Diana grabbed what seemed to be a bundle of clothing, a hair straightener, a small purse, a pillow, and a picture frame of her when she was eight years old with a man next to her; Lawrence. Diana left the room a few moments later, and Natalie emerged from behind the curtains.

"Damn." Natalie said quietly. She couldn't believe what she was about to do to that girl's life. Natalie began to think positive thoughts once again.

She said, "My parents survived. Maybe her mom will this time."

Natalie quietly stepped downstairs after concluding that Diana had left. She poked her head into the living room once again to see Alison still sleeping on the couch. Natalie quickly approached her, and then she thrust all of her weight on top of Alison, and covered Alison's mouth and nose with the chemical smeared cloth in her pocket.

After a few minutes of struggling Alison fell limp, and Natalie could only ask herself one question:

"Now what?"


	7. The First Test: Part II

**The First Test: Part II**

**Alison's P.O.V.**

Feeling the weight of someone on top of her, Alison began to fight. She threw her arms up and began to grab at her attack her in a failed attempt to save herself. A large cloth was put over her face, and almost instantly, Alison began to feel weak. Her senses dimmed, and she fell into a deep sleep.

For the journey to the factory, Alison was not dreaming. All she could feel was fate being draped over her like a thin, white sheet. She also felt the sensation of falling. Being as drugged as Alison was, you would think she would hallucinate in her sleep, but Alison did not stir. Before reaching the factory, Alison heard one voice calling out to her. The voice was familiar, and it seemed to be calling her back to the real world; this voice was Lawrence.

**One Hour Later:**

Alison woke up to feeling extreme heat on her face. Opening her eyes instantly, Alison screamed to be faced to face with a wall of heated bars. She tried to move her feet, but they caught after about a foot's length.

Alison screamed, "Help! Someone help me please!"

Right after saying this Alison noticed a tape recorder hanging next to her on a rope. She looked at it for about 15 seconds before remembering her husband's murder investigation. She listened to Lawrence's tape that was played on an identical tape recorder.

Reaching up, Alison hit the play button on the tape recorder to hear a raspy and faded voice that she prayed to god that she would never have to hear again. The voice on the tape said:

_Hello Alison, I want to play a game. Ever since your husband's death you have assumed a new life, and you have taken your daughter for granted. She is a brilliant child, but in between sleeping and overdosing on anti-depressants you haven't taken any time to notice. The device you're sitting in can be compared to a very large toaster. Its heated walls are set to a spring timer, and once this tape is over you will have approximately one minute to locate the key. It is located somewhere inside of this contraption, and it will free you from your shackles. To you the key will be like finding the light in your husband's murder. If you fail to succeed you will see you husband again, and you will leave your daughter an orphan. Live or die Alison, make your choice. Let the game begin._

Suddenly as Alison heard the tape's static cease, she also heard the ticking of a timer begin. Looking around frantically, Alison could not find the key at first glance. Secondly, she tried to manually remove the shackles from her ankles, but all she succeeded in doing was wasting time. She only had thirty seconds left on the clock when she noticed the key. It was located directly behind one of the room's heated bars. Alison reached back as far as she could without touching the bars, but all attempts seemed to fail her. With fifteen seconds left Alison was almost out of ideas and hope. Then she remembered the jacket that she was wearing that was made of strong, and almost completely heat resistant material. She quickly bundled up the jacket and rested it on the bars. She was then able to rest her head on it and grab the key.

Freeing herself from the shackles, Alison began to climb up a rope ladder that had been dangling in arm's reach.

5

.4, Almost there

3

2

1, at the top

Alison climbed out of the toaster just as the walls slammed shut. All that was damaged was her foot as it was grazed by one of the bars, but Alison had won.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Alison noticed another tape recorder on the floor. Cold dread suddenly swept over Alison's heated and exhausted body. She picked it up and hit the 'play' button. It said:

_Congratulations, you are still alive. Most people are so ungrateful to be alive, but not you, not anymore._

The tape fell silent, and Alison stumbled out of the door ahead of her. She would not go down easily; not like Lawrence.

Natalie walked into the room almost instantly after Alison left (through another door), and she surveyed the scene. She looked down to notice the tape recorder that Alison had just dropped. It had been played which meant Alison made it out of the toaster.

Natalie sighed in relief, "She made it. Diana won't have to deal with that all over again."

Knowing that Alison was emotionally fragile anyway, Natalie knew that Alison wouldn't go to the police. She would keep what happened bottled up inside of her, much like Natalie would.

**After the Test:**

After the first test, Natalie would take her parents' work absence everyday as an opportunity to sneak out and continue work for her next test: Her name was Sara, and she certainly had her work _cut_ out for her.

According to information found by Natalie this woman had been cheating on her husband and abusing her children ever since her father passed away many years ago. John had talked to her before, but at a bus stop in Chicago. Her reason for being in Chicago was that she was escaping from her normal life, and Sara had secretly been visiting an old high school boyfriend, Mark. After three years her habits had not subsided. After Mark's death she divorced her husband and moved to New York City. Sara hardly ever saw her children, and she didn't want to anyway. Natalie had a special trap in mind for Sara; a homemade one.

Natalie said to herself, "I'll skip John's blueprint this time. I've got a great idea."

Adam, Amanda, and Natalie were going to New York City for a week anyway. One of Adam's old friends had invited them for a visit. As supplies and construction of the trap go: Natalie only needed the ocean, a sturdy pole, an oxygen tank, and a scalpel.

Natalie thought, "If it's taken almost twenty years and that chick still hasn't changed, then it's about time I got here."

In a short amount of time, Natalie had drawn up blueprints, laminated her notes, gotten the smaller supplies, and devised a plan to kidnap Sara along with finding a secluded location to test Sara for her will to survive.

Things seemed to be working out well for John's work at the time, but Adam and Amanda had growing suspicion for her daughter's sudden love of secluded space and independence.

Whenever Amanda looked into her daughter's eyes she felt that there was an odd presence; one that hadn't been there for a long time. Whenever Natalie spoke to Amanda, she sounded dead. The bounce in her voice was gone. Little did Amanda know that Natalie was not there anymore. She had become somewhat similar to a ventriloquist dummy. She was a human puppet at John's mercy.

* * *

A/N: Yes, by now you can probably imagine what the next trap is going to be like, but I'm not very concerned about that right now. What I would like are some changes that could be made to the story (plot or character wise) to improve reader interest. Let me know if there is anything that I am leaving out, or some things that you would like to see happen. If it works for me I will try as hard as possible to fit in these changes. So be sure to review and tell me what I'm missing. Thanks. 

lovelikeSummer3


	8. The Big Apple

**The Big Apple**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

Having just gotten on a plane to New York City with her parents, Natalie wanted nothing more then to get off. Even if she was the next prodigy of the late Jigsaw Killer she was still terrified of heights. One other thing that puzzled her was how she got past security with all of the weapons in her suitcase.

Natalie asked worriedly, "Mom, how long is this flight?"

Amanda replied, "Only about an hour. Why?"

"I think her fear of heights is kicking in," Adam interrupted.

Amanda asked, "Natalie, Is that the problem?"

Adam said, "If you want Nat, I can give you one of the sleeping pills that I keep with me on flights."

Adam called over a stewardess to get a glass of water for Natalie. She took the sleeping pill and fell asleep within five minutes. The next thing Natalie knew she was waking up on a hotel bed in Manhattan.

As Adam walked into the room he noticed that Natalie had woken up.

"Nat, you've been out for quite some time. We have to start getting ready for Scott's party. It's more of an informal get together so you can wear jeans or whatever," Adam said as he searched through his suitcase for a T-shirt.

Natalie asked innocently, "Are we doing any shopping or sight seeing?"

Adam replied, "We've got a whole week here so I wouldn't rush things right now. Speaking of rushing, have you seen your mother around? Last time I checked she was a whirl-wind of hair and makeup."

"I haven't seen her, but she'll turn up," Natalie responded sheepishly.

When Adam, Amanda, and Natalie arrived at the party they were not recognized by anyone. Being that Amanda and Scott had never met before this was not a surprise, but Adam couldn't spot anyone that looked familiar.

It wasn't until Scott had finally noticed Adam that the talking could actually begin.

Scott exclaimed, "Adam! My god I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been?"

After breaking away from a firm handshake Adam replied, "As you know I've moved into Western New York with my wife Amanda and my daughter Natalie."

Scott caught a glimpse of Amanda and seemed to react almost instantly.

"So this must be the lucky wife," Scott said pulling Amanda into a small hug.

Amanda replied, "Yes, Adam has said so much about you, and by the way," Amanda turned to Adam and asked, "Where is Natalie? She was here a few seconds ago, but I can't see her."

Scott looked a tab bit concerned but broke the awkwardness with a reassuring statement.

"I'm sure she'll turn up. After all, this place isn't very big, and she wouldn't go running off in New York City now would she?"

**Meanwhile…**

Natalie crept through small clouds of gathered friends through hallway after hallway until she had found the back exit. Getting to her hotel and all of her supplies weren't going to be easy, but it's about time Natalie was faced with a challenge.

The hotel was a mere two blocks away, and Natalie had very good time management skills.

"_Judging by the care and hospitality that Scott is occupying my parents with I should have about three hours to do my job_, "Natalie said to herself with a grin.

Having stretched about one block down the road, Natalie checked her pocket to make sure that she still had her hotel room key handy.

After retrieving her supplies in a suitcase, Natalie began to make her way through the neighborhood over to Sara's apartment.

Natalie said to herself, "_If things go as smoothly as they did with Alison then I might do better than Jigsaw after all._"

Having used the same methods to kidnap Alison; Natalie had Sara hooked into her trap in less than forty-five minutes below a secluded dock in New York City.

Everything was set up. Sara was stable with at least forty-five minutes of air. The air tank strapped to her wasn't very heavy, so her position wouldn't cause her to sink farther under the water.

Things were certainly looking up for Natalie. She was getting better at her job every day that passed. The better things were for her, the worse things were for the rest of the world. Her victims that did not survive would bare the jigsaw piece carved into their lifeless form. Natalie however prayed that her test subjects would survive. Even though her job was to let them die if they chose, she could never forget Amanda's words, "_How can you kill someone and live with that for the rest of your life?"_

Sara would wake up soon, so Natalie had written down and had Sara's test rules laminated. She fastened them to the same pole as Sarah and quickly surfaced from the murky water. It was time for the test to begin.

* * *

A/N: Okay guys I am totally sorry for the wait. I've been at camp all week, plus my sister never gets off of the computer. However the next two chapters are going to be posted quickly...because I now have more time on my hands than any girl should. I also have been trying to make my chapters longer, but things like that are a skill that escapes me. Please forgive me and remember to review! Thanks. 


	9. Sara's Test

**Sara's Test**

**Sara's P.O.V.**

Sara woke up seeing nothing in front of her but a blur of red and grey. Before she could truly take in her surroundings the sting of salt water burned her eyes. Sarah thrashed with the pain trying to surface, but her hand was impaled between her thumb and index finger by a thick pole. Attached to the same pole was a laminated note. The note read:

_Hello Sara, I want to play a game. In your lifetime you have been given anything you could have wanted. You had a wonderful marriage, two wonderful children, a nice home, and a great job. In return for your good fortune you have abandoned your children, assumed a new job, and cheated on your husband before your divorce. Yes Sara, Mark, your boyfriend is dead. He too was wasting his life. It is time for you to prove yourself stronger than him. By now you must have noticed the pole through your hand. Taped to the back of this note is a scalpel. You must free yourself from the pole in order to continue living your life, but do it quickly. For the blood seeping from your hand is sure to attract sharks. Let the game begin._

Sara quickly flipped over the note to see a scalpel. Removing it from the paper with a trembling hand, Sara moved it closer to her injured hand. She thought about how to save herself. The pole widened at the top, so she couldn't simply swim up and remove her hand from the pole. Her only option was to chop through the skin between her two fingers and create a large enough gap to slide the pole out.

Letting out a small cry Sara began to hack away at her hand. The pain was unbearable. Sara gazed at her hand as the flesh was peeled away to free herself, and the fact that she was swimming in salt water didn't help with the pain either. She was almost free when a shark swam close to her.

Sarah cried under water, "Shit!"

The shark circled several times before lunging at Sara's leg. Without being able to react to the attack the shark had taken both of Sara's legs. Next the shark moved upward chomping away at every bit of her up to her rib cage. Having eaten enough the shark swam away feeling satisfaction for his most recent discovery of a meal.

Natalie returned much later to discover Sara's mutilated remains. Holding back a wave of vomit Natalie took the scalpel still clutched tightly in Sara's hand and carved a jigsaw piece in her arm.

Natalie muttered under the water, "Game over."


	10. Dazed and Confused

**Dazed and Confused **

**Amanda's P.O.V.**

Amanda had noticed Natalie's disappearance that day in New York, and it bothered her for the rest of the trip.

Natalie had come back in less than three hours, but she was all wet. Her explanation had been that she fell in Scott's pool, but there was definitely a cry for help behind her pale green eyes.

It seemed almost like her daughter was trapped behind a wall and an almost evil twin had appeared in her place. It looked like Natalie, but Amanda knew deep inside that something had happened to her daughter. That's why John came to her once more in her dreams.

Amanda tossed and turned the night they all came back from New York. Natalie was asleep in her bed, but Amanda thought she was being watched before she managed to shut her eyes.

_A voice that seemed too familiar to Amanda called out to her in her restless dream._

_John stated, "Amanda, ever since your betrayal I have been waiting for someone to continue my work. I can now tell you that my search is over. What happened with you was monstrous. You sacrificed the lives of valuable test subjects for your own pleasure. People like Lynn who had families and friends were murdered, and the lives of their loved ones were torn to shreds. I have found someone that can play by the rules and lead the world to understand my lessons. She is closer than you think. You will know who she is in time. Follow your heart."_

Amanda woke with a start to notice everything as it was before her dream. Adam was sound asleep next to her, her alarm clock was ticking at a steady pace, and she could hear crickets chirping outside of her window. She was able to sleep easily for the rest of the night, but the morning brought unexpected horrors.

Amanda could hear the uneasy whimpering coming from Adam in the living room. She walked to down the stairs and came in to see something on the television screen that she hoped she would never have to see again. It was the image of an arm with a small jigsaw piece carved into it.

The newscaster on the television stated, "The body of thirty-four year old Sara Carter was discovered Friday when a team of construction workers noticed a flock of seagulls looming over her remains in New York City. The cause of death cannot be placed as either a homicide or an accident. She was found with a large pole impaled through her hand, but half of her body had been removed by what was identified as a shark. Bringing back unwanted memories seems to be the theme with this death as a jigsaw piece was discovered carved out of her arm. This as some of you know is the calling card of the infamous Jigsaw killer who until now has been lying low for thirteen years. We will update you on further information as soon as it is received. Thank you for tuning in to Seven News at eleven."

Adam stared wide-eyed at the screen until a tear ran down his face. Amanda's expression was equally stunning.

Adam squeaked, "B-but how could this have happened? Amanda he was dead! We saw him flat line thirteen years ago! Oh God I thought it was over after that Amanda, I thought it was over!"

Immediately after saying this Adam started having a panic attack. Amanda had seen that happen before, but this time she seemed to be frozen where she stood.

Natalie screamed to Amanda, "Mom! What do we do? Should I call an ambulance? MOM!!!

Amanda couldn't hear anything Natalie was saying. She just watched as Adam began to convulse on their couch. Memories of all that had happened flooded back to her. John, Adam, Lawrence, Eric Matthews, Paul, Mark, Zepp, Lynn, Jeff, Corbett, Danica, Timothy Young, the judge, Addison, Daniel, Xavier, Obi, the guy who got shot in the eye, and Jonas died all over again in Amanda's mind. Before she knew it she and Adam were riding on stretchers on the way to the hospital. Amanda knew she was still breathing, but she felt weightless like she had just died herself. The last thing Amanda heard before falling unconscious was the sound of Adam's heart monitor begin to emit a long beep that stood for the sound of his heart stopping.

* * *

A/N: I'm back, and shocked to realize that i have not recieved reviews for my last two posts. I feel unloved and therefore have left you with a cliff hanger. Be sure to review thanks. By the way I happened to get the title from my own random thinking. It was not meant to have anything to do with the movie which I do not own and have never seen. 


	11. Square One

**Square One**

**Amanda's P.O.V.**

Amanda opened her eyes to be staring at a piercing white ceiling. The shock and its brightness forced Amanda to bolt upright in her hospital bed. A nurse came over right away to see what the commotion was.

She said to Amanda, "Mrs. Faulkner? Do you know where you are?

Amanda replied, "Yeah, a hospital. Where's Adam?"

The nurse answered, "He's over in the recovery room next door. You're daughter Natalie is quite the hero. If she had waited another minute to call an ambulance your husband wouldn't be alive. We were able to get him in to surgery right away. He-"

Amanda interrupted, "Surgery?"

"Yes," the nurse answered, "His lungs collapsed from having that panic attack. I've seen him before. Wasn't he one of the only people that survived one of Jigsaw's traps?"

Amanda snapped, "They were tests, not traps."

The nurse threw her hands up almost as if she just surrendered a fight or maybe it was just in aggravation.

Amanda called after her as she walked away, "Can I go see him? Adam I mean."

The nurse replied, "I guess, but if he's still sleeping come right back."

Amanda walked down the hospital corridor for what seemed to be hours (even if she was walking next door.) She finally found the next door that said Recovery written on it in white letters. Quietly opening the door she slipped inside to see Adam lying in his bed with his eyes half open. Upon seeing Amanda his eyes lit up with hope like the day she came to get him from the bathroom. Amanda sat down beside him with tears swelling in her eyes.

She whispered, "Adam I am so sorry. I couldn't move. I-"

Adam interrupted, "It's alright; I'm alright, and seeing that you're up and about I'd say you're alright too."

Amanda sobbed, "Adam, I'm not alright! God I thought I almost lost you again!"

Adam looked deep into Amanda's dark but soft eyes and said, "I'm not going anywhere."

Adam held Amanda until she cried herself dry. Then they looked around trying to avoid the subject of what got them landed in a hospital in the first place. Eventually Adam couldn't hide the uncomfortable thoughts in his head.

He looked Amanda in the eyes again and said, "So who do you think took over…for you know…Jigsaw."

Amanda looked around making sure that there was nobody else in the room before answering, "Two nights ago John came to me in a dream. He said that he had found someone new…someone who would play by the rules. He also said that _she_ is closer than we know, and that I'd know who she is in time."

Adam stated, "We'll we've established that this new lackey is a girl, and she's probably somewhere in her mid- twenties…after all Jigsaw would want someone with a good outlook on machinery that only age would provide. Plus she would have to be your average Joe…or in her case an average Joan. This basically narrows it down to… a lot!"

Amanda's eyes narrowed and looked at a card on Adam's small end table. It was from Natalie. Suddenly looking at this card reminded me of the last thing John said.

_Follow your heart._

Amanda was released from the hospital the following day with nothing wrong but a splitting headache and a sprained ankle from when they dropped her while loading her onto the stretcher. Since Adam was still in the hospital, Amanda would have to begin her investigation alone.

Amanda muttered to herself, "If John's got my little girl under his spell I swear to God I'll-"

Amanda was cut off as she almost ran right into Natalie's bedroom door. Natalie was at school at the time so that gave Amanda plenty of time to search her room.

Nearly throwing open the door Amanda was greeted by a blast of vibrant colors; after all Amanda and Adam gave Natalie her privacy. Amanda had completely forgotten that she and Adam had painted Natalie's room a bright orange the previous year. Along with the wall color was a pair of hot pink curtains behind her twin sized bed in the center of the room.

Amanda exclaimed, "Damn it!"

She sheltered her eyes from the brightness until they adjusted, and then she began to search around the room for signs of Jigsaw's presence.

Amanda said to herself, "Follow your heart."

Her efforts seemed to be worthless. Amanda searched for what seemed to be hours and she had found no evidence of Natalie being corrupted by Jigsaw.

Amanda had almost given up by the time she had looked closely into Natalie's desk where a small heart was carved into the surface of one of the desk's drawers. Nearly throwing open the drawer she noticed the box that had been brought to their door on Natalie's birthday.

Amanda shivered in anger as she remembered Natalie's bewildered expression as she opened the package. She had lied about the box's contents and kept it secret for so long. Looking inside the box Amanda remembered most of the materials from when she had been John's apprentice. There were the same tape recorders, the same tools, and the same tapes.

Amanda asked out loud, "How did John get this to Natalie, and how did he tell her about all of this?"

Amanda then remembered when she first agreed to continue John's work. John's words seemed to be only a faded memory to Amanda now.

"_You will give everything to me; every cell in your body. When you walk down that corridor there is no turning back. Do you understand?"_

Amanda saw his face vividly, and almost like she had answered she repeated out loud, "Yes."

Searching through the box Amanda came across blueprints made for traps. Some of the have been checked off in green pen, and others in red. Green obviously meant that the test was a success, and the red meant that the subject had died.

Deeming it necessary to keep this box away from Natalie, Amanda resealed its contents and picked up the small but heavy box. Turning to exit the room Amanda came face to face with Natalie.

Natalie snapped, "How long have I been here? I had the feeling that you'd ask that so I'll answer your question in the best way possible… long enough."

Natalie pulled a crow- bar out from behind her back and quickly hit Amanda over the head with it. Before Amanda could react she had dropped the box and had landed in a bruised heap on the floor.

Natalie looked at Amanda the exact same way that John would. She only saw failure. She looked at her tan carpet and said, "Shit! Now there's going to be a stain!"


	12. Best of You

**Amanda's P.O.V.**

Amanda woke up with a taste of blood in her mouth. Quickly remembering the last time she had woken up to the taste of blood her hands attempted to fly up to her head to check for a reverse bear trap or any other painful headgear, but her hands were tied to a chair along with her feet. She let out a sigh of relief before a voice broke the silence of the room.

"You're not attached to anything too harmful I can assure you."

The voice Amanda heard was that her daughter's, but the mind behind the voice was none other than John's.

Natalie stepped out of the darkness. In her hands she carried a large knife from their steak knife holder at home.

Amanda cried, "Natalie! What are you doing?"

Natalie replied coldly, "I'm doing what should have been done long before now. Amanda, you betrayed me in more ways than you know."

Tears started streaming down Amanda's face when Natalie/John brought the knife closer to her throat.

Natalie whispered, "Thirteen years ago when I was on my death bed you had to make a choice. When you chose to save your daughter you chose wrong. Did you thing I'd be gone after that? No, a child's mind is easy to corrupt and manipulate. If you had chosen Lynn's life over your daughter's then you wouldn't be in this situation right now. In choosing Natalie's life, you have ended yours and Adam's."

Amanda gasped in terror when she heard this. Upon mention of Adam's name Amanda wondered where he was at the moment.

Amanda screamed, "Where is Adam you bastard?!"

It hurt inside to be screaming like that at her own daughter, but Amanda remembered that it wasn't Natalie anymore, John had completely taken over.

Natalie replied, "He's safe for now, at least until he finds the note your daughter left him and comes looking for you."

**Adam's P.O.V….**

Adam unlocked the door and stepped inside his empty house. The first thing that caught his attention was the empty coffee pot that sat on the kitchen counter. However next to the coffee pot was a note. Walking closer to the note Adam read:

_Adam,_

_Things are not what they seem. If you want to see Amanda alive again come to 31 Erin Lane. Your daughter is with her. Be quick about it though; you never know when Natalie might snap._

Nearly flying back out the door Adam drove down to this mysterious address to once again save his wife and daughter from their impending death.

Adam pulled up to an old factory and began hearing Lawrence again.

_I'll send someone back, I p-promise._

_Well Adam, whoever put us in these chains doesn't want us to go very far either._

Adam finally realized that Jigsaw would never let him and his family get far in life. Even after his death Jigsaw found ways to keep Adam and Amanda chained to their past, but it was all ending today.

Nearly kicking down the door of the factory, Adam stepped inside and gazed at his surroundings. There was only one door which he guessed lead to Natalie and Amanda.

Many things puzzled him at the time, such as who is Jigsaw's successor, and why did he say Natalie might snap? Taking things too literally Adam thought Natalie might be strapped to a machine that could cause her to snap in half, so throwing the door open he was greeted by a smell he was quite familiar with, the smell of decay.

The room was dark, so the only things Adam could see were the silhouettes of two people, Amanda and Natalie.

"Amanda, Natalie! Are you alright?"

Adam listened intently for an answer but he was met by silence. She shouted out again, and this time he was greeted by a chilling voice that was half Natalie's, and half Jigsaw's.

Natalie said, "Hello Adam. I suppose you have a good idea of what's happened to your little girl. She is gone now. Her soul belongs to me forever, unless you can win it back along with the life of my former apprentice."

Adam began to quake. He felt the exact same way that he had when he had found the tape that belonged to Zepp Hindle. Everything he had missed suddenly flashed before him; the package, the shyness, Natalie's slipping grades, staying out late, her cold eyes, it was all there.

Adam could only mutter out one word, "Y-you!"

Natalie spoke again, "Yes Adam, me."

A muffled cry echoed from across the room, and Adam finally came out of his trance.

"Amanda!"

Adam began to dart towards her, but he all of the sudden stepped on something sharp, something long that went right through his foot.

Screaming out in agony, Adam looked down to see that his foot had gone through a rusty railroad spike. To his left and right there was a line of them running from wall to wall leading all the way over to where Amanda was tied to a chair.

Natalie spoke calmly, "Sorry, it's a safety precaution to keep you from breaking the rules."

It hurt Adam to scream at his own daughter, but he knew that it wasn't her anymore.

"You bastard why can't you just die?! Why couldn't you stay dead you sick fuck?!"

Natalie, replied, "Try to understand, this is only to help."

Adam screamed, "How is this going to help?! You destroy lives and families and you think it's going to help?!"

"In good time you'll understand," Natalie said with rising contempt in her voice.

"The rules to this game are simple. You will answer various questions that will eventually lower the spikes from the floor and your foot, and save Amanda as well. Each time you answer a question wrong an electric shock will surge through Amanda's body. As you get questions wrong the pain will worsen. Live or die Adam, make her choice."

Adam began to feel dizzy. He thought all of this would be over. He thought it ended thirteen years ago

Natalie began, "The first question is… How did you get out of that bathroom?

Adam's memory flashed back to the day he was rescued, "Amanda came and used a spare key. It was hidden underneath a tile in the wall."

Amanda felt one of the ropes around her feet loosen and fall off. To her this was hope, and that was all she needed right now.

Natalie continued, "The second question…. Do you feel alive?

Adam was enraged by this question. The pain in his foot throbbed, and he felt his blood boil. He truly regretted the answer he was about to put forth, but it was his true feelings, and Jigsaw could feel it.

"I feel like I want to strangle the life out of you! I want to watch you die another death you bastard fuck!"

Natalie hit a button on the wall next to her, and before Adam had time to register what button that was Amanda began to squirm in her chair and cry out in agony.

"The third question, why do you think Lawrence gave his life for a family that he hardly spent time with?" Natalie asked with a smirk growing on her face.

Adam answered, "Lawrence really did love his family. Even if he and Ally had their differences, they were all he had other than his career. His daughter meant everything to him. Just like my daughter means the world to me. Why can't you just let her go? Larry loved Ally and Diana, and I love Amanda and Natalie.

Natalie snapped, "Not until you can prove yourself worthy of keeping them. That question isn't about you; it's about Dr. Gordon."

Natalie turned a small dial next to the big button and electrocuted Amanda once more.

"There is only one setting left. If you answer this question wrong Amanda will die Adam. I will keep your daughter, and I will return you to the life you knew before all of this, cold and alone."

Adam's head was spinning. Maybe he wasn't meant to live. Maybe Amanda should have left him to die. Maybe love had nothing to do with it. Maybe Amanda still works for Jigsaw, and she was playing him for a sap this whole time.

Adam shook these thoughts from his head. No, Amanda does love him. Why else would she marry him and have his child? How can he win?

Natalie continued, "The final question, what is the cure for cancer Adam?

Amanda flinched. She knew she couldn't answer because John would kill her. After all that he had taught her she still remembered his philosophy on the cure for cancer.

_There isn't as good a cure for cancer as there is a cure for death. The cure for death is immortality. Being immortal means living a life that will be remembered….it is a life worth remembering._

Attention was brought to Adam who merely stared into the distance. He had remembered talking to Lynn many years ago about cancer treatment. Why it mattered to Jigsaw now was a mystery to Adam, but he didn't care if it would save Amanda's life.

Adam answered, "There are three known treatments for cancer. The first is to have the cancer surgically removed, the second is radiation treatment, and the third is chemotherapy."

Natalie scoffed at this answer, "You're wrong. Game over."

* * *

A/N: I can assure you that I will post again soon, but I have been almost too busy for comfort, and writers block doesn't help very much. Please R/R. The saw section is becoming a ghost town and its weirding me out. 


	13. Redemption

**Redemption**

**The final chapter unless I can be persuaded**

**Adam's P.O.V.**

Adam watched in terror as Natalie reached to hit that red button that would send over 10,000 volts into Amanda's frail body. Natalie was about to hit the button when something strange happened.

Even though Adam couldn't see her very well, he knew that Natalie was hesitating. Maybe there was still some of his daughter left after all. Natalie began to grab at her one hand and pull it away over and over again. Pretty soon Adam heard Natalie's voice…her real voice.

Natalie screamed, "Get out of my head! Get out!"

The John inside of Natalie struggled to gain back control over her actions.

John calmly said, "Natalie, think of how far you've come. All that I have taught you cannot go to waste now. If you push that button you will do the right thing. You will destroy two more people that don't appreciate life. All you have to do is push it!"

Suddenly, Natalie's entire right arm jerked forward with such force you could hear the bone pop out of the socket. After Adam cancelled out the cry of discomfort that came from his daughter, he began an attempt to free his foot from the railroad spike in the ground.

John was distracted, so it was perfect timing to free himself and Amanda, but what would happen to Natalie? John might decide to kill her for not listening.

Natalie's internal struggle continued, but it became more and more violent as each moment passed. Keeping her hands away from the button, Natalie turned around so that her back was facing it.

Adam knew at once that Natalie was going to need some help. Ignoring the pain Adam jerked his foot right out of the spike, and ran to free Amanda. After she was free it wouldn't matter if Natalie pushed the button.

Untying Amanda's ropes they held each other close for about a minute. Adam and Amanda began to encourage Natalie to be strong.

"Come on Natalie! Fight Him! Don't let him keep control of your mind!"

Amanda and Adam screamed almost the exact same words, other than when Amanda came closer to Natalie and yelled,

"For the love of God Natalie, don't make the same mistake I did! Don't let him into your heart! He tried to kill your father! He tried to kill me, and now he's killing you! Just don't let him!"

And with that Natalie stumbled backward. In her tightly gripped hand Natalie still carried the large knife from before. She knew she couldn't stop him the way she was trying to, so glancing at the knife and then her parents she cried, "Leave my family alone!"

Adam's eyes widened and Amanda nearly died herself when she watched Natalie plunge the knife into her side. Blood began to spout from the wound, and Natalie withered to the floor.

Having the same plan drawn up in both of their heads, Adam and Amanda picked up Natalie and rushed to the hospital as fast as they could. When the doctor's asked they said that Natalie had fallen on a rusty pipe while playing in their back yard.

For three days Adam and Amanda waited for a report on their daughter's condition, but all questions remained inconclusive. Adam sat next to Natalie holding her hand every day since she was admitted to that hospital. Adam knew his way around a little too well. He and Amanda were told that they may have to pull the plug on their little girl. She still hadn't woken up, and Adam was wondering if it was the best choice.

It was one instant that he regained hope when Natalie squeezed his hand a little. Suddenly her eyes began to flutter and eventually open. Adam was once again the only one there to see because Amanda was getting coffee.

"Dad?" Natalie coughed out.

Adam felt happy for the first time in days. He looked into Natalie's eyes. They were blue again. Amanda walked in the room and dropped the coffee right on the floor. Ignoring the mess she had just made Amanda ran over to Natalie with tears swelling in her eyes. They were a family again.

After about a month of psychological and physical therapy doctors concluded that Natalie was fine and could live out a normal life once more, even if normal didn't really describe it.


	14. The Infection

**The Infection**

**Natalie's P.O.V.**

It has been at least 6 months since Natalie was possessed by the spirit of the Jigsaw Killer. Her life has continued where she left off, age thirteen, in eighth grade, with her best friends, and her parents.

Natalie began to walk home from school one afternoon when her best friend Jessica stopped her.

"Hey Nat, do you want to go get some lunch?"

Natalie remembered the last time she asked that.

"Sure, I've got time." Natalie replied.

As they walked to the Subway down the street Natalie noticed something strange. Jess was awfully quiet. Her guess was that Jess was hungry, but it was a creepy, morbid silence that sent chills down Natalie's spine.

They sat at a small table after they got their food, and began to chat about usual things, parents, boys, friends, plans for the weekend.

"Hey have you ever thought about people taking their lives for granted since that whole crazy thing happened last year?"

Natalie felt it strange that Jess would ask now, but she answered anyway.

"Yeah, but I think people were meant to make bad choices in life. It's how they learn from their mistakes and make better ones in the future."

Jess replied half heartedly, "Yeah I guess."

Natalie stared curiously at Jess as she took a bite of her turkey sub. The color drained from Natalie's face almost instantly when she realized what was wrong.

Natalie quivered, "Jess?"

Jess answered, "What? Are you okay?"

Natalie asked, "Weren't your eyes grey yesterday?"

**Game Over**

* * *

**A/N: **Thus concludes the series...unless you beg and plead for more writing, but that's highly unlikely. You can guess already that if I do continue Jess will be continuing Jigsaw's shenanagins. It saddens me to see that most of my original viewers are gone, but that's life. You win a few and lose a lot. I may start a new series on something completely different too. I'm rambling again so...

lovelikeSummer3- Over and out.


End file.
